David Alan Mamet (/ˈmæmɪt/; born November 30, 1947) is an American playwright, author, and filmmaker. He won a Pulitzer Prize and received Tony nominations for his plays Glengarry Glen Ross(1984) and Speed-the-Plow (1988). He first gained critical acclaim for a trio of 1970s off-Broadway plays: The Duck Variations, Sexual Perversity in Chicago, and American Buffalo. His plays, Race and The Penitent, respectively, opened on Broadway in 2009 and premiered off-Broadway in 2017. Feature films that Mamet both wrote and directed include House of Games (1987), Homicide (1991), The Spanish Prisoner (1997), and his biggest commercial success, Heist (2001). His screenwriting credits include The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981), The Verdict (1982), The Untouchables (1987), Hoffa (1992), Wag the Dog (1997), and Hannibal (2001). Mamet himself wrote the screenplay for the 1992 adaptation of Glengarry Glen Ross and wrote and directed the 1994 adaptation of his play Oleanna (1992). He created and produced the CBS series The Unit (2006–2009). Mamet's books include: On Directing Film (1991), a commentary and dialogue about film-making; The Old Religion (1997), a novel about the lynching of Leo Frank; Five Cities of Refuge: Weekly Reflections on Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy (2004), a Torah commentary with Rabbi Lawrence Kushner; The Wicked Son (2006), a study of Jewish self-hatred and antisemitism; Bambi vs. Godzilla, a commentary on the movie business; The Secret Knowledge: On the Dismantling of American Culture (2011), a commentary on cultural and political issues; Three War Stories (2013), a trio of novellas about the physical and psychological effects of war; and Everywhere an Oink Oink: An Embittered, Dyspeptic, and Accurate Report of Forty Years in Hollywood (2023), an autobiographical account of his experiences in Hollywood. Description above from the Wikipedia article David Mamet, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
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Biography from TMDB.
- November 30, 1947 (78)
- Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Writer, director, actor and producer
- 40 on Motif · 62 credits in all
What are David Mamet's films like?
Across their 34 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.
Genres
Their Motif films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Motif score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 1 · Wry 2 · Earnest 31
A split, not a type: Light 9 · Serious 7 · Dark 18
Grounded 22 · Stylized 10 · Heightened 2
A split, not a type: Gentle 9 · Charged 9 · Intense 16
A split, not a type: Steady 15 · Shifting 14 · Whiplash 5
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 23 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 4
Slow burn 12 · Even-paced 20 · Relentless 2
Casual 7 · Engaged 14 · Full focus 13
Easy watch 9 · Affecting 13 · Heavy 12
Resolved 12 · Open-ended 15 · Ambiguous 7
Moods and endings
- Happy5
- Bittersweet13
- Tragic4
- Ambiguous12
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch David Mamet's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 24 of their 40 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (13).
- House of Games (1987) · director, writer · free
- Ronin (1998) · writer · free
- The Spanish Prisoner (1997) · director, writer · free
- State and Main (2000) · director, writer · free
- Hannibal (2001) · writer · free
- Beau Is Afraid (2023) · actor · free
- Heist (2001) · director, writer · free
- Oleanna (1994) · director, writer · free
- About Last Night (1986) · writer · free
- Edmond (2005) · writer · free
- Lakeboat (2000) · writer · free
- American Buffalo (1996) · writer · free
- +1 more
- The Untouchables (1987) · writer · free
- Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) · writer · free
- House of Games (1987) · director, writer · free
- Ronin (1998) · writer · free
- Hannibal (2001) · writer · free
- Heist (2001) · director, writer · free
- Edmond (2005) · writer · free
- Lakeboat (2000) · writer · free
- American Buffalo (1996) · writer · free
Subscription and free streaming for David Mamet's titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Motif score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
62 credits, 40 with a Motif page; 6 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Marty Supreme(2025)
Motif score: 93rd percentile of all films
Henry Johnson(2025)
Motif score: 39th percentile of all films
The Penitent: A Rational Man (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2023)
Beau Is Afraid(2023)
Motif score: 68th percentile of all filmsJust a Scene (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2022)
About Last Night(2014)
Motif score: 44th percentile of all films
Two-Bit Waltz(2014)
Motif score: 27th percentile of all films
Phil Spector(2013)
Motif score: 44th percentile of all films
Glengarry Glen Ross (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2011)
Two Painters (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2010)
Inside the Actor's Workshop (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2010)
Our Valley (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2010)
The Marquee (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2010)
Lost Masterpieces of Pornography (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2010)
Redbelt(2008)
Motif score: 71st percentile of all films
Edmond(2005)
Motif score: 51st percentile of all films
The Unit(2006)
Motif score: 90th percentile of all shows
Spartan(2004)
Motif score: 64th percentile of all films
The Shield(2002)
Motif score: 98th percentile of all shows
Heist(2001)
Motif score: 61st percentile of all films
Catastrophe (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2001)
Hannibal(2001)
Motif score: 72nd percentile of all films
State and Main(2000)
Motif score: 72nd percentile of all films
Lakeboat(2000)
Motif score: 44th percentile of all films
The Winslow Boy(1999)
Motif score: 88th percentile of all films
Lansky(1999)
Motif score: 39th percentile of all films
Ronin(1998)
Motif score: 87th percentile of all films
Wag the Dog(1997)
Motif score: 84th percentile of all films
The Spanish Prisoner(1997)
Motif score: 86th percentile of all films
The Edge(1997)
Motif score: 80th percentile of all films
Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1996)
Hustlers, Hoaxsters, Pranksters, Jokesters and Ricky Jay (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1996)
American Buffalo(1996)
Motif score: 35th percentile of all films
Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1995)
Oleanna(1994)
Motif score: 61st percentile of all films
Vanya on 42nd Street(1994)
Motif score: 86th percentile of all filmsTexan (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1994)
A Life in the Theatre(1993)
Motif score: 31st percentile of all films
Hoffa(1992)
Motif score: 63rd percentile of all films
Glengarry Glen Ross(1992)
Motif score: 96th percentile of all films
The Water Engine(1992)
Motif score: 63rd percentile of all films
Uncle Vanya (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1991)
Homicide(1991)
Motif score: 76th percentile of all films
The Yiddish Cinema (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1991)
The Simpsons(1989)
Motif score: 96th percentile of all shows
We're No Angels(1989)
Motif score: 42nd percentile of all films
The Shawl (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1989)
Things Change(1988)
Motif score: 79th percentile of all films
Lip Service (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1988)
The Play on One (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1988)
House of Games(1987)
Motif score: 88th percentile of all films
The Untouchables(1987)
Motif score: 97th percentile of all films
Black Widow(1987)
Motif score: 55th percentile of all films
About Last Night(1986)
Motif score: 53rd percentile of all films
The Verdict(1982)
Motif score: 97th percentile of all films
Motif score: 65th percentile of all films
Hill Street Blues(1981)
Motif score: 94th percentile of all showsAssassination (not in the Motif catalog yet)
House of Games (not in the Motif catalog yet)
Russian Poland (not in the Motif catalog yet)
Speed the Plow (not in the Motif catalog yet)
Career shape
A full career of 61 titles, 56 of them dated from 1981 to 2025.
Film career
- 1987Screen debut· Black Widow
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Motif score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, shown from 5 scored.
How do David Mamet's films land?
Their typical Motif film has a Motif score in the 65th percentile, the median of the 35 of 36 with a score; across their 33 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 65th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up17
- 50th to 74th13
- 25th to 49th9
Shape of the crowd
21 of their 39 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved7
- Cult Classic2
- Crowd Pleaser21
- Broadly Agreed2
- Mixed7
Reviewers score the dialogue 68/100 and the plot and story 50/100 in their films, across 33 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Motif score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is David Mamet's work okay for kids?
Across up to 17 Motif titles with content scores, profanity, alcohol & drugs and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does David Mamet work with?
People who share at least 2 of David Mamet's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; William H. Macy shares the most, 10.
Writers
- Denise DeClueShared titles: About Last Night (2014), About Last Night (1986)See all 2 shared titles with Denise DeClue
- Tim KazurinskyShared titles: About Last Night (2014), About Last Night (1986)See all 2 shared titles with Tim Kazurinsky
Actors
- William H. MacyShared titles: Two-Bit Waltz (2014), Edmond (2005), Spartan (2004), State and Main (2000), Wag the Dog (1997), Oleanna (1994), The Water Engine (1992), Homicide (1991), Things Change (1988), House of Games (1987)See all 10 shared titles with William H. Macy
- Rebecca PidgeonShared titles: Two-Bit Waltz (2014), Phil Spector (2013), Edmond (2005), Heist (2001), State and Main (2000), The Winslow Boy (1999), The Spanish Prisoner (1997), Oleanna (1994), Homicide (1991)See all 9 shared titles with Rebecca Pidgeon
- Joe MantegnaShared titles: Redbelt (2008), Edmond (2005), Lakeboat (2000), The Water Engine (1992), Homicide (1991), Things Change (1988), House of Games (1987)See all 7 shared titles with Joe Mantegna
- Ricky JayShared titles: Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay (2012), Redbelt (2008), Heist (2001), The Spanish Prisoner (1997), Things Change (1988), House of Games (1987)See all 6 shared titles with Ricky Jay
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Barbara TulliverShared titles: Phil Spector (2013), Spartan (2004), Heist (2001), State and Main (2000), The Winslow Boy (1999), The Spanish Prisoner (1997), Oleanna (1994), A Life in the Theatre (1993), Homicide (1991)See all 9 shared titles with Barbara Tulliver
- Juan Ruiz AnchíaShared titles: Phil Spector (2013), Spartan (2004), Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), Things Change (1988), House of Games (1987)See all 5 shared titles with Juan Ruiz Anchía
- Alaric JansShared titles: The Winslow Boy (1999), The Water Engine (1992), Homicide (1991), Things Change (1988), House of Games (1987)See all 5 shared titles with Alaric Jans
- Theodore ShapiroShared titles: Heist (2001), State and Main (2000)See all 2 shared titles with Theodore Shapiro
Producers
- Art LinsonShared titles: Spartan (2004), Heist (2001), The Edge (1997), We're No Angels (1989), The Untouchables (1987)See all 5 shared titles with Art Linson
- Sarah GreenShared titles: State and Main (2000), The Winslow Boy (1999), The Spanish Prisoner (1997), American Buffalo (1996), Oleanna (1994)See all 5 shared titles with Sarah Green
- Michael HausmanShared titles: Phil Spector (2013), Homicide (1991), Things Change (1988), House of Games (1987)See all 4 shared titles with Michael Hausman
- Barry LevinsonShared titles: Phil Spector (2013), Wag the Dog (1997)See all 2 shared titles with Barry Levinson
Mixed roles
- Gregory MosherShared titles: American Buffalo (1996), A Life in the Theatre (1993)See all 2 shared titles with Gregory Mosher